is a 1924

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

French silent

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J ...

and starring

Max Linder Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) (1 ...

. The French title translates into English as "Help!". The film is also known as ''The Haunted House'' in some reference books. The film was made on a dare, with Gance filming the entire project in three days, with the help of his friend, actor Max Linder. Linder had just returned to France after several years of trying to start an acting career in Canada. Max Linder, depressed since his service in World War I, had earlier entered into a suicide pact with his younger wife in 1924, the year after they were married, but the attempt failed and the event was hushed up. Their second attempt succeeded however in 1925, and the pair succumbed to an overdose of poison and blood loss from slitting their wrists, leaving behind a very young daughter Maud. Quentin Tarantino included a reference/ homage to Linder in his 2009 film, ''

Inglourious Basterds ''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger and Mélanie Laurent. The film tells an alter ...

''.

Plot

The boastful Count Maulette dares some guests in a private club to spend one hour in a haunted house he knows of. A young newlywed named Max takes on the challenge, and they bet a thousand francs on it. Max must stay in the castle from 11 PM until midnight in order to win the bet. The Count arranges for Max to have a bell he can ring for help, but if he rings the bell, he loses the bet. After Max is locked inside, he is assaulted by a wild barrage of seemingly weird supernatural events (a mannequin comes to life and assaults him, men in skeleton costumes prance about, wild animals wander the corridors and ghosts seem to fly about). Finally, just as he is about to win the bet, the phone rings and Max is told that his wife back home is being threatened by an intruder. Panic-stricken, Max rings the bell minutes before midnight to run to his wife's defense, and therein loses the bet. The audience later discovers it was the Count calling him on the phone, pretending Max's wife was in danger.

Cast

- Max *

Jean Toulout Jean Toulout (28 September 1887 – 23 October 1962) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1911 and 1959. Selected filmography * ''La Digue'' (1911) * ''The Mask of Horror'' (1912) * ''The Tenth Symphony'' (19 ...

- Count Maulette *

Gina Palerme Gina Palerme (born Marie Louise Irène de Maulmont, 18 December 1885 – 26 December 1977) was a French actress and dancer. Biography Gina Palerme was born Marie Louise Irène de Maulmont (also spelled Maumont) on 18 December 1885, the daugh ...

- Edith *

Gaston Modot Gaston Modot (31 December 1887 – 20 February 1970) was a French actor. For more than 50 years he performed for the cinema working with a number of great French directors. Biography Modot lived in Montmartre at the beginning of the 20th cen ...

Criticism

Critic Christopher Workman writes the film's "horrific incidents.....none of it particularly funny or scary, employ props, techniques and effects that were already old hat in 1924 --- fast motion, slow motion, wire work, superimpositions, stunt doubles on trampolines, men in ghost and skeleton costumes, a man on stilts, etc....".Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 273. .

References

External links

* 1924 films French black-and-white films French haunted house films French silent short films Films directed by Abel Gance 1920s comedy horror films 1924 horror films French comedy horror films 1924 comedy films Silent comedy films Silent horror films 1920s French films {{1920s-France-film-stub